Camp Clothing Essentials

Camping! Spend some beautiful days in the great outdoors, without the distractions of the hectic world, passing the time with friends and mother nature. It sure sounds like a great time, but a dream camping trip can turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared with the right gear. Lucky for you, we’ve made a helpful list of all the essential clothing you need for the next time you camp.

Let’s start from the bottom – your feet. Any camping trip, especially one that involves hiking, is going to involve a lot of walking, and much of that is going to be on uneven and unpredictable surfaces. It’s extremely important to protect your feet from blisters and your ankles from twisting.

The best way to do this is to purchase a good, rugged pair of boots, particularly hiking boots. And make sure they’re waterproof: nothing is worse than wet feet, and you never know if you’re going to have to walk through a puddle or creek. A decent pair of boots is the most valuable and necessary item in your camping wardrobe. However, getting the boots is only part of protecting your feet, as you also need to get some good socks. Heavy-duty wool socks are the way to go for a camping trip, as they provide a layer of protection between your boot and your foot, helping prevent blisters and abrasion, and they also can keep your feet warm when the temperature drops at night.

Next we come to your legs. If it’s extremely hot, you can wear shorts, but the majority of the time, pants are the better decision. When walking through the forest, you never know what kind of bugs or foliage you are going to come across, and it’s best to keep as much of your skin covered as possible. Having long pants can also help keep you warm when the temperature drops. That’s not to say that your pants are going to keep you too warm–many camping companies produce pants that are extremely light-weight, but heavy duty material that won’t tear or rip while hiking. The lightweight material also dries exceedingly quickly, which is useful for when it rains or if you step in a puddle.

Moving up further, there is one key to shirts for camping: layers. When you’re out camping, the temperature can swing strongly, depending on the weather and the time. When the sun goes down, the temperature can easily drop 30 degrees. Layering your clothes helps the camper deal with this volatility. You want plenty of long sleeve shirts to protect your arms from the sun, bugs, and brush, and you want materials that are thin yet warm, like waffle thermals for example. This way, you can pack light but still stay warm or cool depending on what the weather dictates. You also want to bring a weatherproof shell jacket, in case it rains. It’s essential that this jacket is thin so that it doesn’t take up too much room.

As far as your head goes, you should always have a hat. It helps keep you cool and can prevent painful sunburn. You may also want to invest in a headlamp, as it will enable you to get around in the dark while keeping your hands free.

Camping has the potential to be a poor experience if you don’t know what you’re doing, but if you have these essential pieces of gear, you’ll be on your way to having a great time!